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Post by texaswoodie on Mar 30, 2011 8:52:30 GMT -5
I did some research on the purple Mexican agates and found they are Agua Nueva agates. I also found that they are fairly rare and expensive little dudes. www.theagatetrader.com/categories/Mexico/Agua-Nueva-agate/Agua-Nueva-Agate-Slabs/?sort=featured&page=2?sort=pricedescThese agates are mined in Chihuahua, Mexico not far from where the Laguna's come from. They come as both seam and nodules. Most of mine are nodules with a few seams. They range in color from purple to pink and everything in between Some of mine are black and I've not found anyone else that has black. I cabbed one of the black ones and found something very odd. If you look at it straight on, it looks black and gray. If you turn the cab at an angle to the light, it turns purple. No, I haven't lost my mind, it really does that. Here's what I've cut so far    Color me a happy little rocker  Curt |
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snuffy
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Post by snuffy on Mar 30, 2011 8:56:40 GMT -5
What can I say? ;D ;D ;D
snuffy
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
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Post by Sabre52 on Mar 30, 2011 8:59:24 GMT -5
Curt: Casas Grandes Agate is famous for those colors and patterns too. I'm used to seeing more mossy inclusions in the Agua Nueva stuff. The gray ones in your pics especially, look to me, to be Casas Grandes material....Mel
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Post by texaswoodie on Mar 30, 2011 9:28:40 GMT -5
The purple doesn't seem to be as vivid in the Casa Grandes to me, but they do have the distinct banding mine have. Just when I thought I had it, Mel comes along and confusals me again. ;D
Curt
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chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
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Post by chromenut on Mar 30, 2011 9:40:19 GMT -5
heavy drool
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rockwizz
freely admits to licking rocks
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Post by rockwizz on Mar 30, 2011 9:40:34 GMT -5
Wow! How much do those puppies go for?
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Haleysdream
has rocks in the head
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Post by Haleysdream on Mar 30, 2011 10:35:07 GMT -5
Gorgeous ! I want some too !
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stefan
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Post by stefan on Mar 30, 2011 10:44:39 GMT -5
Curt- YOU SELLING? Oh and wheres the cab?
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,504
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Post by Sabre52 on Mar 30, 2011 11:41:28 GMT -5
Curt, Much of the problem with IDs on the Chihuahua, stuff has to do with how the material is mined and collected for sale. I used to get my Chihuahua stuff from a dentist who did dental work for rocks down there and he said you'd go into a small village and usually by the local store or someplace like that there'd be an agate pile. All the little miners and cowboys who picked up nodules and vein hunks from all over would have sold or traded their agate to the store owner who would accumulate it until someone came along to buy it and take it north. For that reason much of the material you see for sale that is older stuff has lost it's identity. And also every little pit in the same district or on the same andesite deposit might have it's own mine name. For that reason, most Chihuahua agate types are named after the nearest town or village ie. Laguna, Casas Grandes, Coyamito, Esperanza etc etc. In actuality, the nodules may come from all over the region with the local village store being the center for dropping it all off for sale. Add that to the fact that each pit in the andesite may have a slightly different form of nodule just like the Hauser Beds area in California which has numerous types in one small region, and you have a whole lot of corn-fussion *L* Most of us collectors look for certain colors or characteristics of the exteriors which provide general hints as to type and take our best guess. Only the folks like the Gem Shop who actually dig the stuff from the ground can guarantee where the Mexican stuff they sell actually comes from......Mel
PS: Parcellas Nodules can also have those colors but tend to have less purple. Those really give me ID fits as a nice black and white Parcellas can look like a Laguna or a Casas Grandes with those same colors.
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Mar 30, 2011 12:08:06 GMT -5
Which ever they are, they are very nice & I am thinking I must get some!
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firewalker45
freely admits to licking rocks
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Post by firewalker45 on Mar 30, 2011 12:28:26 GMT -5
That is some sweet agate. Daniel
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dbrealityrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by dbrealityrocks on Mar 30, 2011 13:07:41 GMT -5
Sweeet, I just started getting into agates a couple of years ago and am really impressed w/the agates coming out of that area. I'll post apic in wire wrapping soon of my fav agua nueva which has banding like these but was hollow.
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Post by akansan on Mar 30, 2011 14:31:17 GMT -5
Nice cuts, Curt! Love the slices!
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 30, 2011 15:29:02 GMT -5
Awesome!
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Post by texaswoodie on Mar 30, 2011 17:42:33 GMT -5
Mel, the more I look the more I think I have a mixture of Chihuahuan agates. I think I'll just call them Chihuahuan or Mexican.
Sorry folks, none are for sale. If I did sell any, it would be the lesser quality ones and nobody wants to spend money on lesser.
Curt
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Post by Toad on Mar 31, 2011 1:10:14 GMT -5
Beauties no matter their origin...
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